Day Two

I arrived at the shop at 7:30 so that I could have a chance to learn how the dive shop operated before it opened at 8. Apparently punctuality is not a necessary quality, it is an island, because nobody showed up until after 8. So instead of half an hour to know what is happening before the dive shop opens, we open late and everyone rushes around to get the shop up and running on time. It does not take long for me to learn that this is the normal routine. After making the coffee, cleaning the dishes, cleaning the shop, preparing the gear, and stocking the boat, the first dive goes out. There are a few open spots so Luke tells me to gear up.

We go on a dive together to El Aguila. El Aguila is a ship that caught fire near Utila and no one knew what to do with it. So Anthony's Key Resort (AKR) decided to buy the wreck, clean it up, and sink it right outside their resort. Shortly after sinking the wreck, hurricane Mitch came through and did quite a number to the island, including breaking the El Aguila into three pieces. Since the wreck was cleaned before it was sunk, all the wiring, contaminants, and anything else that could pose a risk were removed to make it diver friendly, and the hurricane made it into nice small sections, it is a very good wreck for penetration. You can always see your exit and the entry ways are nice and open. Since this was the case, Luke took me through the wreck, even though I it had been a while since my last dive.

After the dive, I spend the rest of the day learning about the dive shop. I learn important things like how to check in and out dive gear, how to rinse the gear, and how to kill time while the dives are out. I also collect all the books and fill out all the paperwork that goes with the dive master course. At the end of the day I had a bag full of books and plenty of reading to do to keep me entertained.